Set Profile > Fountain Court Chambers > London, England

Client Testimonials

CLIENT: UK Law firm
COMPANY/FIRM: A brand-focused boutique litigation firm working across intellectual property and sports matters
TESTIMONIAL: “Fountain Court’s clerks are great. They offer our litigation team as much support as is possible.  For example, we have regular relationship meetings to ensure that we are happy with every aspect of their service, they offer secondees and their events and seminars are topical and helpful.  We also find that their advice on costs invaluable.  Fountain Court is one of our Chambers of choice.”

CLIENT: International Law firm
TESTIMONIAL: “I have instructed members of Fountain Court since 1979.  It is not for sentimental reasons that I have kept going back to them, year in and year out.  They simply do not let their standards slip.”

CLIENT: International law firm
TESTIMONIAL: “From my experience of instructing members this year, I can say the following. They “get it” that modern commercial litigation is a team game, with clients, solicitors, experts and barristers all playing their part.  They are good team players, easy to deal with, no airs and graces.  They understand the time pressures that are generated by heavy commercial cases. They turn things around quickly. Their paperwork is exceptionally good – the typical Fountain Court product is a model of concision and precision, but always accessible – easily readable even for the non-cognoscenti.  And their advocacy is outstanding.”

CLIENT: International Law firm
TESTIMONIAL: “The clerking has always been of the highest calibre.  Alex and Paul are a pleasure to deal with.  You can talk business with them.  They understand the cost pressures on clients and solicitors – and they also go out of their way to deal with unexpected demands thrown up (inevitably) by big cases.  The junior clerks win plaudits too from my team.”

CLIENT: Offshore Law firm
TESTIMONIAL: “I have always found Fountain Court to be very strong on the commercials and on the people skills so they are my ‘go to’ set for cases with difficult people dynamics.  Their fees are in keeping with what one would expect and, more to the point, worth every penny”.

CLIENT:Global Law firm
TESTIMONIAL: ““I have had a relationship with Fountain Court that stretches back over 30 years. Our area of practise is mainly but not exclusively Banking Litigation and contentious Regulatory. Their expertise on the Banking litigation side is unrivalled at the bar.”

Diversity/Community

Equality and Diversity

Fountain Court is committed to Equality and Diversity. We regard it as essential to our standing as a leading commercial set of chambers that we should seek to excel in this, as in the rest of our business.

We recognise the obligation not to discriminate against clients, members, pupils or staff on grounds of gender, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), sexual orientation, age, disability, marriage and civil partnership and religion or belief is a fundamental and legal obligation imposed on us by legislation and the Bar Code of Conduct.

It is only right that we should make sure we are behaving in a fair and non-discriminatory way. It also makes good business sense that we should recruit and retain the very best staff, pupils, and tenants, based on merit, from the widest possible pool of talent.

We have a comprehensive , which sets out the policies we have adopted for ensuring compliance with our legal and regulatory obligations and the .  In particular, we use published, objective, selection criteria in recruiting staff, pupils and tenants and we ensure that all those involved in recruitment have Equality and Diversity training; we participate in programs designed to encourage applicants from under-represented groups, such as the ; we provide 6 months’ rent free parental leave for the primary carer of a newborn or newly adopted baby, as well as the option of an extended career-break; we support flexible working patterns; we monitor fairness in allocation of work opportunities as between practising barristers; and we treat breach of our policies on discrimination and harassment as a serious matter. We also have an Equality and Diversity Strategy, which sets out our goals in respect of Equality and Diversity and how we aim to achieve them, and a rolling Action Plan, which sets out time-tabled steps towards meeting those goals.

Our two Equality and Diversity Officers,  and , monitor and report on our progress in relation to Equality and Diversity.

Giving back to the community

Fountain Court Chambers has always been at the fooffice_idront of delivery of pro bono services. For years, the set’s staff and members have provided advice for those in need through a variety of outlets. For example, junior members, such as Samuel Rabinowitz and Alexandra Whelan provide legal advice in the Bethnal Green Advice centre every Wednesday evening as part of chambers’ ongoing commitment to the centre, whilst the clerks’ team also support CSR initiatives in law firms and have assisted Olswang in helping the homeless in the Whitechapel Mission.  The Whitechapel Mission serves men and women caught in the cycles of poverty, hopelessness and dependencies of many kinds, and works to see their lives transformed to hope, joy and lasting productivity.

Other schemes that our junior barristers (1-3 years call) volunteer for include: the Queen’s Bench Division Interim Applications Court Pro Bono Advocacy Scheme; and the Chancery Litigants in Person Scheme (CLIPS) set up in conjunction with the Chancery Bar Association to provide Pro Bono representation to litigants in person in the Chancery Division at the Rolls Building, Court 10 and at the Central London County Court.

Another CSR that Chambers are proud of includes silks such as Michael Green QC attending Wormwood Scrubs Prison on a monthly basis as part of a scheme to monitor the welfare of prisoners, including those in vulnerable positions.

Bar Pro Bono Unit

Former Fountain Court member Lord Goldsmith established the Bar Pro Bono Unit, which we continue to actively support. Silks and juniors continue to review numerous cases, devoting substantial amounts of time to work for the Bar Pro Bono Unit, ensuring legal representation in High Court hearings and many other cases for those most in need but without the ability to pay for representation.

This year, chambers have joined the pilot of a new scheme called Pro Bono Connect, supported by the Bar Pro Bono Unit. The purpose of the scheme is to establish a network of chambers and firms of solicitors willing to work together on pro bono cases. It is intended to enable any barrister from a participating chambers working pro bono on a case to request assistance, via the clerks, from a participating solicitor.

Philip Brook Smith QC is a trustee and an instrumental part of the management committee of the Bar Pro Bono Unit and works alongside participating law firms such as; Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, K&L Gates LLP, Mishcon de Reya LLP, Enyo Law LLP, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Linklaters LLP, Allen & Overy LLP, DLA Piper LLP and Pinsent Masons LLP.

Stephen Lawrence Trust – access to clerking

The Trust is a national educational charity committed to the social inclusion; community cohesion and the alleviation of poverty. It addresses the causes of urban decay; youth disaffection and educational underachievement and supports young people by developing pathways into sustainable education and employment.

In January, 2017 former Deputy Senior Clerk Paul Martenstyn was invited to become an Ambassador for and in the same year was invited to be part of the IBC Management and Education Committee. Both of these invitations demonstrate the high-regard with which he is held in the legal community.

Outside of the legal arena, Chambers also works hard to contribute to a variety of charitable causes.  For example, participating in the ‘Macmillan’s Go Sober for October’ fundraising event, the clerks’ team were awarded for being a top fundraising team, helping to raise just short of £3,000 for this incredible charity.

Pro Bono

Fountain Court Chambers – International Tab

Fountain Court is a set with an excellent reputation for its international work. Covering many diverse practice areas including Aviation, Banking and Finance, Company, Commercial Litigation, Construction, Energy, Offshore, Telecommunications and Travel the set provides experienced advice, counsel and arbitration through all levels of call.

International appointments

Michael Bridle QC has recently been appointed as President of the newly created Abu Dhabi Global Market appeals panel. Patricia Robertson QC has also been appointed as a member of that same panel. In collaboration with other International Financial Centres, global institutions and regulators, Abu Dhabi Global Market develops and supports member institutions with the regulatory framework, legal jurisdiction and attractive business environment they need for sustainable business growth.

Offshore

Members have predominantly acted offshore for institutional and corporate clients, but also in cases involving representation of ultra-high net worth individuals. They have also acted in oligarch-influenced cases involving significant Russian investors. In recent years, Members of Chambers have received instructions in relation to substantial offshore cases from some of the largest mainstream US and UK litigation firms, as well as from (or working in conjunction with) many of the significant offshore firms.

International Arbitration

Members regularly act in arbitrations with an international dimension: as well as acting in London arbitrations, many members have experience of acting in arbitrations conducted in foreign jurisdictions; similarly, many members have experience of acting in arbitrations where the subject matter of the dispute is governed by a foreign law.

Given exponential growth in the number of international commercial disputes being referred to the Singapore International Arbitration Centre and the longer-term prospect of a Singapore International Commercial Court, the set established permanent presence in Singapore in September 2014.

Outside of Singapore, individual members have seen multi-jurisdictional cases involving a variety of jurisdictions including India, Switzerland, the UAE, Russia, Turkey and Israel, in disputes involving a wide range of sectors, including property, aviation, construction, shipping, financial services, international supply contracts, telecommunications and insurance. Work in the DIFC Courts and arbitral institutions has seen a particular increase, with members appearing in the DIAC

International Arbitrators

Members have a wide range of experience across a variety of industries dealing with all types of disputes relating to arbitrations themselves, such as the construction and validity of arbitration agreements, the conduct of arbitrations, the removal of arbitrators, the granting of interim remedies, the enforcement of awards and appeals.  They are familiar with the various institutional arbitration regimes, including the International Chamber of Commerce, the London Court of International Arbitration, the UNCITRAL Rules and the City Disputes Panel.

Most senior members of Chambers have accepted appointments as arbitrators, and many of them are highly experienced arbitrators with strong reputations in the market. Increasingly, junior members of chambers are also being invited to sit as arbitrators in complex and high profiles matters.

Notable international cases include:

• Sonera v Cukorova litigation involves the enforcement of a US$1 billion ICC award. The case has generated a considerable number of rulings in the British Virgin Islands, including several appeals to both the BVI Court of Appeal and Privy Council in London; the case is a good example of the substantial arbitration-related disputes in which Members are regularly involved.

• Naftogaz v. Gazprom, two very substantial arbitrations in the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce against Gazprom of Russia, relating to the sale and supply of Russian natural gas. The sums involved are extremely large – in excess of US$40 billion – and make the cases some of the largest in the world by value.

• Ng Su Ling and Qua Su Ling v Goldman Sachs, claims worth millions of Singapore dollars arising out of Goldman Sachs’ calling in of substantial margin loan facilities and subsequent realization of share collateral.

• The CLICO Inquiry in Trinidad and Tobago, concerning the circumstances in which major banking and insurance companies based in Trinidad & Tobago sustained losses totalling billions of dollars.

• Tempo Group Limited v Fortuna Development Corporation and ors was a six week trial conducted between September and December 2014 in the Cayman Islands Grand Court (judgment is still awaited) which involved both complex factual issues going back over many years and tricky legal problems as to the validity of company EGMs and board meetings, whether a director was properly removed as a director and the validity of bearer share certificates issued by a Samoan company.

• The Blesmir Development Limited and another v Mail.ru Group Limited and others litigation in the BVI concerned the ownership of VKontakte the “Russian Facebook” social networking site worth several billions of dollars.

• The longest trial in Cayman Islands history, a hedge funds dispute, and a very significant case in both St. Lucia and St. Kitts & Nevis, relating to a US$3.5 billion shareholder dispute involving Russian parties, which has seen proceedings in the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, with the losing party planning to appeal to the Privy Council.

• Proceedings in the British Virgin Islands on behalf of TeliaSonera to enforce a US$1 billion arbitration award, resulting in a recent appeal before the Privy Council.

• Proceedings in the Cayman Islands arising from the collapse of the Weavering hedge fund.

• A Privy Council appeal from the Court of Appeal of Trinidad & Tobago regarding a multi-million pound dispute over the estate of a high net worth Caribbean individual in which various members of the individual’s family are involved

• Case involving allegations of money laundering to be heard in the Supreme Court of Gibraltar

• Arch Cru litigation, being heard in Guernsey, over losses allegedly caused by investment in high-risk offshore funds

• BITEL litigation in the Isle of Man heard in the Privy Council.

• Various ‘credit crunch’ cases concerning Jersey-based corporate entities and investment funds.

• Case involving a leading Bahraini regulated bank involving the valuation of various CDO notes, face value of several hundred million US dollars.

Countries of expertise include:

Singapore Office:

Ocean Financial Centre #37-06/10

10 Collyer Quay

Singapore 049315